Craig Daily Press / David Pressgrove

David Pressgrove grew up in Baldwin City, Kansas. He came to Craig in 2002 after graduating from Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, Michigan) with a B.A. in business marketing and a minor in journalism. He worked as the Craig Daily Press sports editor from 2002 to Aug. 2006. In August he became the full-time area director for Moffat County Young Life. He spends his free time running, watching movies with his wife, Jennifer, and hanging out with Young Lifers. In his spare time he assists the Craig Daily Press in reporting the news that matters to you.

Recent stories

My confession (and hopeful repentance) of privilege: By David Pressgrove; January 6, 2012; In the fall, I went back to my college alma mater for the first time in eight years. When I returned I was surprised about how God spoke to me during that trip, and it’s an important lesson I’d like share. The reason I returned to my school was my cross country and track coach, the coach there for 27 years, officially “retired” in the fall. But, unofficially and off-the-record, he was asked to step down. I was extremely upset and disappointed in how the situation was handled by the administration.
David Pressgrove: Taking on choices: By David Pressgrove; January 21, 2011; In the 2005 remake of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the climax of the movie takes place when Willy Wonka offers his factory to Charlie on one condition: Charlie leave his family in order to live in the factory. Willy is taken aback when Charlie chooses his family over the factory. Willy had just offered Charlie a child’s dream — to be in charge of a magical factory with the Oompa Loompas as friends for life.
MCHS seniors inspired by tourney: By David Pressgrove; December 21, 2010; It might take a couple of days, but Charlie Griffiths and Cody Nelson will be happy they took home medals from the Warrior Classic. On Saturday night, they weren’t too excited because they wanted medals of a different color. Both Moffat County seniors went into the prestigious tournament with the goal to win. Instead, Nelson finished sixth and Griffiths finished fourth. Both wrestlers lost their medal round matches by one point in the final seconds.
Two-point quarter dooms MCHS varsity boys hoops team: By David Pressgrove; 02:30 p.m., December 20, 2010 Updated 12:00 a.m.; To give up just five points in one quarter is considered a quality defensive effort in basketball. Unfortunately for the Moffat County High School boys varsity basketball team, such an effort was negated when the Bulldogs scored only two points of their own in the same quarter. MCHS finished the first half of its game Saturday against Palisade with 10 points.
Full-court press propels MCHS girls to win: 21-6 first quarter key for win against WSL foe; By David Pressgrove; December 20, 2010; PALISADE – One advantage of having a three-day tournament is that by the third game, a coach has had a chance to scout the upcoming opponent twice in a matter of 48 hours. Matt Ray, Moffat County High School girls basketball coach, had a pretty good idea of what his team could do against Saturday’s opponent, Palisade. “Cortez and Rifle pressed them and it worked well,” Ray said. “I felt pretty good about our chances if we did the same.” The Bulldogs defense made it hard on Palisade to get past half court in the first quarter, and at one point MCHS led 21-4. The quarter ended with the Bulldogs in blue leading the Bulldogs in maroon, 21-6. The rest of the game wasn’t as lopsided, but MCHS finished with a 53-41 win.
Halftime adjustments work in MCHS girls’ favor: Boys lose big at Palisade tourney; By David Pressgrove; December 18, 2010; At halftime against Montezuma-Cortez High School, Matt Ray set out a challenge to one of his Moffat County Bulldogs. “(Montezuma-Cortez) were raining threes in the first half,” he said. “So I told Maddy (Jourgensen) her job was to make sure that didn’t happen in the second half.” The Panther’s Keely Yanito hit three of the team’s six, three pointers in the half to give Cortez a 33-32 lead going into halftime.
MCHS wrestling team takes 1st at Union Duals: By David Pressgrove; December 15, 2010; “Pin to win” is a mantra that is printed on all kinds of wrestling gear and memorabilia. On Dec. 10 at the Union Duals in Roosevelt, Utah, the mantra became truth for the Moffat County High School wrestling team. “We had to get pins if we were to win because of our open weights,” MCHS coach Roman Gutierrez said. The Bulldogs had four empty weights, which yielded 24 points to their opponents before a wrestler stepped on the mat.
The brotherhood: Five seniors have grown up together on the wrestling mat; By David Pressgrove; December 8, 2010; Early in his coaching career, Roman Gutierrez had a mentor told him something that has proven true during the Moffat County High School wrestling coach’s successful career. Those words were that if each class of kids can have four or five consistent wrestlers the team will be strong. During Gutierrez’s state championship years that was the case. This year Gutierrez’s senior class of Charlie Griffiths, Cody Nelson, Kye Adams Cody Adams and Ben Winslow represent that ideal.
The new big man on campus: Matt Ray ready for his role as head girls hoops boss; By David Pressgrove; December 8, 2010; Turn the clock back 18 years and picture Matt Ray as a high school senior. At the time, he was running wind sprints and working through drills under the observation of coach Craig Mortensen. “I thought Mort was hard and rigid,” Ray said. “Those were through high school eyes. Sometimes I thought I couldn’t ever do anything right for him.”
All in the family: Zach and Angelo Raftopoulos use familiarity, hoops history to help lead boys team; By David Pressgrove; December 8, 2010; Zach and Angelo (Hodge) Raftopoulos have been around basketball most of their lives. Their older sisters played together on some of the best girls teams in Moffat County High School history. The cousins traveled to watch their sisters play, but they weren’t far from basketball either. “Whenever we got together, it seemed like a basketball game happened,” Hodge said. “(Zach and I) have played a lot of basketball together.”

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Recent photos

Teamwork proved successful for the Moffat County High School varsity cross-country team Sept. 9 at the Warrior Classic Invitational in Grand Junction. The girls team, led by junior Eryn Leonard, finished first overall, and the boys team finished second with help from a first-place finish by senior Alfredo Lebron. Above, senior Dale Nakai, left, runs against a competitor during a meet earlier this month.

Alfredo Lebron, a Moffat County High School senior, competes in the pre-state meet Saturday in Aurora. Lebron won the race in 16 minutes, 12.91 seconds, helping lead the boys team to a third-place finish out of 30 teams. The girls team took 15th out of 28 teams, led by junior Eryn Leonard. Both teams also competed Friday in Littleton, with the boys team finishing 10th and the girls team 14th.

Maddy Jourgensen, left, competes in the 3,200-meter run Friday during the 4A state meet at Jeffco Stadium in Lakewood. The Moffat County High School senior took third in the race with a time of 11 minutes, 15.22 seconds. Jourgensen’s time also beat out Christina Moyer’s 1997 MCHS record of 11 minutes, 20.56 seconds.

From left, Garrett Spears, Johnny Landa, Rene Molina, Alfredo Lebron and Miguel Molina pose with their medals Thursday at the 4A state track and field meet in Lakewood. Spears took sixth place in shot put while Landa, Rene, Lebron and Miguel took fifth place in the 4-by-800-meter relay.

Moffat County junior Garrett Spears launches a throw in the Western Slope League boys discuss competition on Friday in Grand Junction. Spears threw a personal best of 134 feet, 9 inches and finished third in the competition.

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